Girl meets Maya
by Baby Sarah
Summary: "Daddy, Maya is my best friend." Seven year old Riley Matthews announced at their dinner table. "But I thought Maya was mean to you to you today?" Her father recalled. "But even though she done all of that I'm not mad at her, that's how I know we're best friends." A story about how Riley and Maya became best friends and how Maya became important in the Matthews household.
1. Chapter 1

Topanga was a pretty young mother but that never stopped her from loving her daughter as much as she could. Even though it would be easier on them both if her husband Cory took their daughter Riley to daycare in the morning Topanga insisted that she be the one to do it. She just loved the time in the morning she could spend alone with Riley.

"You look gorgeous, sweetie." Topanga told her as she fastened the buttons on her red jacket over. When she reached the top button she pecked Riley on the nose.

"My turn." Riley announced to her. Topanga shut over her eyes and felt Riley softly peck her nose. "Now I'm ready for school." Riley announced.

"Do you have your lunch?" Topanga asked her.

"Uh huh." Riley squeaked as she held up a brown paper bag above her head. Topanga and Cory always found money scarce and couldn't buy Riley a proper lunch box. It broke their hearts really. They wanted the best for their daughter but couldn't always give it to her.

"Then I think we're ready to go." Topanga told her.

"I'm so excited to see my friends again." Riley chirped happily as she skipped down the stairs.

Today would be Riley's first day back to daycare after the Christmas break. Topanga and Cory had been saving since last February to ensure that Riley's Christmas experience would be to par with all the other kids.

The walk from the apartment complex to Miss Carrie's Daycare was relatively short but Riley only had small legs and downtown New York was paved with ice. Riley was always careful when walking on the icy sidewalks after she fell down a few weeks previous. Sometimes Topanga would carry her when she felt it was too icy for poor Riley too walk. No one in the city council thought that salting down this part of town would be worth the money.

They reached the indigo colored door leading into Miss Carrie's daycare. There was a rainbow and a sun with a smiley face painted onto the window. Miss Carrie's daycare was a small daycare she runner out of her house there was only 8 other kids in it but it was the best they could afford for Riley.

"Have a great day Pumpkin." Topanga told Riley and she kissed her forehead.

"I love you." Riley told her mom. Topanga grinned and pulled Riley into a hug.

"I love you too."

Then Carrie helped Riley take off her coat and boots. Riley giddily skipped into the daycare where the other kids happily played with one another. Topanga left for college.

Like most morning she took a shortcut through the back roads to the subway stop. Only this morning something was different. She could hear little sniffling. She looked around but couldn't find the source of the sniffling. She kept on walking, _It's probably nothing,_ She told herself.

She heard it again. Her eyes darted around frantically trying to find the source of the sniffling. Then her eyes spotted a little girl.

She was no younger than Riley. She had long blonde hair that looked sticky at the bottom. She was only wearing a light red cardigan for warmth. The black leggings and yellow Mr. Men t-shirt couldn't of been helping with the bitter early January weather. There was an uneaten Tuna Melt on her lap and in her hand was a piece of paper with something Topanga couldn't quiet make out scrawled onto it.

Topanga felt unsure of herself about what to do about the young girl. "Hi." She said timidly putting a bright smile onto her face. The little girl looked up surprised to see Topanga. Topanga expected to see trails of tears down the girls face but instead was a steady trail of snot.

"Are you a grown up?" The little girl asked hopefully. Topanga nodded. "That's great! Do you know where this is?" The little girl asked and handed her the piece of paper in her hand.

Topanga was surprised. This was the address for Carrie's daycare. "Where's you're mommy?" Topanga asked her. The little girl shrugged her shoulders and sniffed again. Topanga reached into her bag and pulled out a tissue. She handed it to the little girl.

Topanga watched as she wiped her nose. _Should I take her there?_ She asked herself.

"Mommy told me that I was to start big school there, but I can't find it." The girl told Topanga.

"What about your daddy?" Topanga asked. The little girl looked down at her feet guiltily.

"Mommy says that its my fault he's gone."

Topanga was shocked but didn't want the little girl to sense that. "C'mon I know where it is." Topanga said and held out her hand.

"Yay!" The little girl cheered. "What's your name?"

"Topa- Mrs. Matthews." Topanga told the girl. She felt the girls cold hand grasp onto hers.

"My name is Maya."

"That's a very pretty name." Topanga said and watched as a smile appeared on the girls young features.

"Thank you." Maya mumbled, Topanga noticed she had stuck her thumb in her mouth. The little girls nails were very short. Someone, presumably her mother had painted them red.

Their walk was quiet after that. Topanga dropped her off at the door at rang the bell. Maya shuffled awkwardly as she waited for Carrie to answer it. Carrie opened the door happily but her features went into a look of confusion when she saw Topanga again.

"Hi Mrs. Matthews is everything okay?" Carrie asked looking at Topanga not taking notice of the small blonde child standing behind Topanga's legs.

"Em, this is Maya. She say's that she's meant to be starting here today." Topanga informed her. Carrie looked down at the little girl and looked shocked.

"Are you Maya Hart?" Carrie asked the girl crouching down to her level. Maya nodded. "Where's your mommy?"

"At work." Maya answered, her thumb still in her mouth.

"Oh okay. Well why don't you come inside." Carrie suggested and led Maya into the daycare. She turned back to Topanga. "Thanks for taking her. Some of these kids just don't have the best home life's."

Topanga nodded sympathetically unsure of what to do. It was Carrie who shut the door over leaving Topanga to slowly walk back to the subway stop her mind flooded with what could possibly going on in the life of blonde little Maya Hart.

* * *

><p>"Shit I'm late." Topanga cursed under her breath. She was never late to pick up Riley before and she wasn't too keen on making a pattern of it.<p>

The subway stopped at third street and Topanga squished her was out through the floods of people. The icy paths had some what melted leaving them covered in the shallow puddles. Topanga's heeled splashed the water up staining the cuffs of her jeans.

She reached the indigo door of Carrie's daycare, 15 minutes late. "She's probably the only kid there." Topanga said to herself. She rang the doorbell. Moments later Carrie opened the door. Riley's little head perked up when she saw her mother.

"Mommy!" She squealed joyfully and ran towards the door.

"I'm sorry I'm late sweetie." Topanga told Riley as she hoisted her up onto her hip.

"It's okay, I got to play some more with the new girl." Riley informed her mother.

"You didn't see her mother anywhere?" Carrie asked Topanga hopefully. Topanga shook her head no. Just has she done so she saw a young woman, no older than 18 run towards the daycare door.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." She said. Topanga noticed she was wearing a waitress uniform. It must be Maya's mother she told herself. She fished in her pocket and pulled out the 7.50 she owed Miss. Carrie for her service.

"You must be Maya's mother." Carrie said and shook her hand. The blonde nodded.

"She wasn't bad was she. She's a demon at home." She asked.

"No she was perfectly fine." Carrie informed her. Topanga felt a little awkward listening in on them so she placed Riley down and started to put on her coat and boots.

"That's good. C'mon Maya. Gammy's at home waiting for you."

Maya placed down the blocks she was stacking and walked towards her mother.

"Now what do you say to miss Carrie?" She asked her daughter as she gripped onto her hand.

"Dank you." Maya mumbled. Topanga noticed that her thumb was still in her mouth. The woman fished in her pocket and pulled out a sucker.

"Look I got this for you so you wouldn't keep sucking that thumb of yours." She handed Maya the sucker.

Maya grinned happily and substituted the sucker for her thumb.

"Thanks so much." The woman told Carrie.

"Any time Katy." Carrie answered. With that the woman left with Maya close to her side.


	2. Chapter 2

Topanga was sick. It wasn't often his wife was sick so Cory knew that she was extremely angry about this. She wasn't too bad, she suspected it was a sinus infection. It was odd to get those in the Summer but the Matthews weren't ones to be normal.

"Cory I'm relying on you to get Riley to school safety." Topanga told him groggily from bed.

"Relax. I'm more than capable of walking a few blocks down the road with Riley." Cory confided.

"I wish I believed you. Do you have the camcorder?" She asked. Cory nodded.

Today was Riley's last day of daycare and they were putting on a show for the parents. Each kid had to dress up like an animal. Riley's was a cat. Cory had sloppily drawn whiskers and a nose onto her face. Her short brown hair was tied back into two buns to resemble ears. She was wearing a simple black dress with a sock pinned to the back like a tail.

"Feel better." Cory told Topanga and he kissed her softly.

He took Riley and the pair walked around the block. Cory never really noticed how energetic his daughter was. She had escaped his grip and was skipping and jumping a few feet ahead of him. Cory knew Topanga was extremely angry about missing out on Riley's little play.

Cory knocked on the indigo colored door. Miss Carrie opened it up with a bright smile on her face.

"First as usual Riley." She commented. Riley giggled and shook off her coat.

"Mr. Matthews if you want to come back and take a seat. Once all the kids show up we'll start singing the songs."

Cory nodded and took a seat on the red plastic chairs in the front row.

It wasn't long before the other 9 kids showed up. "Maya!" Riley squealed and waved at her friend. Cory looked over and to who her friend was waving at. It was a girl with long blonde hair. It was tied back into two pigtails hanging from either side of her head. The little girl was wearing all white with circles drawn on with sharpie.

"Okay, so if all the parents want to take a seat the kids are going to start to sing some songs for you." Miss Carrie said to the parents who were chatting amongst themselves. Cory took the camcorder out of his pocket and zoomed in onto Riley. Riley waved to Cory with a big grin on her face.

Miss Carrie moved Riley and two other boys into the middle of the semi circle the children had formed. The two other boys were dressed as Cat's too.

The class began to sing 'Three little kittens.' The three kittens in the middle had to do the actions. The other parents cooed and awed at the kids singing. When the song finished the kids went back into the circle.

They sung four more songs. Cory's personal favourite being 3 little monkeys because of how enthusiastic Riley was when singing it.

It was near the end when a blonde woman burst into the daycare doors. Her arms were covered in grease and her hair was disheveled but her entrance made Riley's friend Maya chirp up. After that Cory noticed she actually started to sing the songs with the other kids rather than look about awkwardly in the small crowd of parents for her mother.

Miss Carrie pulled Maya into the circle and sat her down. She put little dog ears onto her head too.

Her classmates started to sing 'How much is that doggy in the window?' and Maya would do the woofs.

When it was all over the parents clapped for their kids. Riley ran into her fathers arms awaiting his approval.

"Did you see me singing Daddy?" She asked innocently. Cory smiled and ruffled Riley's hair.

"Yes, you were amazing." Cory told his daughter. Riley giggled and crawled up onto his lap.

"Riley!" A high pitched voice from behind her squealed. It was the blonde girl Maya. "I won't get to see you for all Summer." She noted sadly.

"How come?" Riley asked confused.

"Because there is no school in Summer." Maya informed her.

"But I love school! Daddy I want to go to school!" Riley cried angrily.

"I'm sorry hunny but Miss Carrie can't keep the school open in summer time." Cory told a sad Riley.

"But what about my friends?" Riley sulked.

"We can have them over for a play date." Cory compromised.

"And miss Carrie?" Riley asked wrapping her arms around her dad's neck and leaning back.

"Miss Carrie is an adult. She can't come over on a play date." Cory informed her. Riley sulked.

"But I love her!" Riley cried.

"It'll be okay dear. You can come over and see me whenever you want." Miss Carrie told Riley and pushed back her brown hair.

"Promise?" Riley asked with a sulk on her face. Tears forcing their way down.

"Promise." Miss Carrie answered. Riley smiled brightly.

"Daddy can Maya come on a play date?" Riley asked hopefully.

"But you only saw Maya today." Cory informed her.

"You told me that my friends could have a play date!" Riley screamed.

"Okay I'll go ask Maya's mom." Cory said giving in. Riley smiled triumphantly.

"Excuse me are you Maya's mother?" Cory asked the small blonde woman.

"I'm sorry, did she hurt your kid?" She asked. "Maya come over here and say sorry." She ordered.

Maya shook her head no and ran into the play area. Riley followed.

"No, no, no. She didn't do anything wrong. My daughter Riley just really wants for Maya to come over for a playdate." Cory explained.

"Oh." The woman said shocked. "Well she's meant to be going to my mothers today. I'm filling a divorce with my husband you see. Maya's just too young to understand it all right now."

Cory was surprised, the woman looked to young to be married let alone getting a divorce but he wasn't one to say anything about teen marriage.

"Oh." Cory said unsure of what else to say.

"Maya's been a bit of a hassle lately. It's a nice offer but I thing it's best if she stay with her family." Katy informed him.

"Well do you want to take my number and maybe the girls could meet up over the break?" Cory suggested.

"That seems like a good idea." She replied. She gave Cory her number.

"Sorry, can I get your name."

"Katy."

"Thanks. Well I'll see you and Maya sometime over the summer then."

"Thank you..."'

"Cory."

"Cory. Okay well I'm going to be late. Maya c'mon mommy is going to be late."

Maya sighed and put down her toys and ran to her mother. The pair walked out of the indigo colored door and down the street.

"See I told you I'd see your special part." Katy told her daughter.

"Did you like it?" Maya asked her mom, just like Riley had asked Cory earlier.

"It made my day, sweetheart." Katy told her.

"Up?" Maya asked putting her arms in the air.

"Sweetie mommy is too tired to pick you up."

"Daddy picks me up..."

Katy sighed and looked down at Maya. She had stuck her thumb in her mouth again. Katy despised when her daughter sucked her thumb and tried to substitute it with suckers but Maya would always get them stuck in her hair. Katy noticed tiny tears form in the inner corners of her eyes.

"Fine." Katy said giving in and hoisted Maya up onto her hip. Maya rested her cheek on her mothers shoulder soiling her mothers waitress outfit with her Dalmatian face paint.


	3. Chapter 3

Six year old Maya Hart sat at the table closest to the kitchen at Nighthawks diner. She was given a stack of paper placemats and a cup of crayons to color with. Her mom has started working an extra shift. Elementary school isn't as cheap as kindergarten was. The red cushioned diner seats weren't very comfortable on Maya and she kept jumping up from the seat and walking around the diner.

"Maya please sit back down." Katy pleaded from behind the register. Maya sighed and sat back down on the hard leather seats. She was still dressed as a reindeer from when she did her school play earlier that day. Even though Katy knew Maya understood why she couldn't make her performance it still broke her heart knowing she was probably the only kid who's parent's weren't there to support them.

The golden bells sewn onto the reindeer antlers jingled as they Maya shook her head from side to side. Riley loaned her a black tutu to wear, Riley wore a pink one. It surprised Katy how her daughter had managed to find a great best friend at the tender age of 3.

Kids like Riley Matthews don't just appear out of thin air and Katy was glad that a kid like Riley Matthews was friends with hers. "Hart order for table 7." Harvey the chef called at her. Katy walked into the kitchen

Maya flipped the sheet of paper over to the white side and began to draw a painting as best as a six year old could. She bopped her head side to side making her ears jingle. Unbeknownst to her or her unexpected mother it was going through a certain Tony Hardman.

"Would'ja shut up kid!" He growled turned around in his seat. Maya gasped and jumped surprised at the sudden outburst. Tony wasn't a regular to the nighthawk diner like most the customers who were used to Maya's antics so this aggression towards Maya was a surprise.

"I wasn't talking!" Maya shot back angrily. She crawled on top of the table in order to seem taller. She was always a pretty small kid. The antler jingled as she crawled onto the table.

"Gimme those!" he said roughly and pulled the antler from Maya's head. Pulling at her hair since her mother pinned them in.

Maya squealed in pain. He tore of one antler but the rest of them remained on her head. "Mommy!" Maya yelled. She jumped down from the table and into the kitchen.

"Maya what wrong?" Katy asked nervously. Typically her daughter liked to handle situations by herself but here she was clinging to her legs with tiny beads of tears running down her face.

"A man broke my antlers." She sniffed. Not letting go of her moms legs to look up. Katy looked down at Maya and sighed. She remembered how excited Maya was when she came home with the antlers for her. Katy typically couldn't afford the things for Maya that all her classmates had so when Maya requested the ears for her performance Katy didn't want Maya to not have a parents and the antlers.

Maya assumed that her mother wouldn't be able to get the antlers for her and was busy making make shift ones out of wire coat hangers and toilet paper rolls. When her mom walked in the door with the brown antlers with tiny golden bells sewn on Maya felt like the happiest kid alive. She put them on and didn't take them off, even to go to sleep. Maya even sang all three of her songs for Katy since she wouldn't get to see her preform.

But now some man had tarnished that memory for both Maya and Katy.

"I'm sorry sweetheart." Katy said and bent down to Maya's level. She wiped away her tears and sighed. "I guess sometimes when your feeling happy life goes and breaks your antlers."

"That doesn't make any sense." Maya mumbled and started down at her feet.

"I know sweetie." Katy said and pulled Maya into a hug. Maya rested her little face on her moms shoulder like she always did when she was upset. "That's just what I hear good parents say sometimes."

By good parents she meant Cory and Topanga.

She heard Maya giggle lightly.

"Do you want me to go give out to him?" Katy asked.

She felt Maya nod.

"Words Maya."

"Yep."

Her thumb was in her mouth.

She carried her daughter out of the kitchen and into the diner.

She heard a man snap his fingers. "Oi Blondie, it's been 30 minutes wears my food?" He asked angrily.

Katy's obvious name tag seemed to have no impact on that man.

"That's him. The guys who broke my antler!" Maya announced loudly so the whole diner could here.

"What's your problem sicko? Why'd you go break her antler?" Katy asked incredibly.

"Look, I didn't know you were her mom. I'm sorry won't happen again." The man said unbelievably.

"It can't happen again because you broke them!" Maya cried angrily.

"Well maybe if you kept your kid under control I wouldn't have to!" He said angrily.

"Is there a problem here?" Katy's manager Burt asked intervening the pair.

"That man broke Maya's antlers." Katy explained.

"Is that true sir?" Burt asked the man.

"Well yeah but the kid-" Tony began attempting to explain himself.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Burt concluded.

"Whatever this place is a dump anyway." Tony said picking up his coat and leaving. Maya stuck her tongue out at him as he left.

"Katy I've told you before to keep that daughter of yours under control." Burt snarled once Tony had left.

"I'm sorry, I won't let it happen again." Katy apologized on behalf of Maya.

"I might not let that happen again! Now get back to work and keep her out of trouble." He ordered before walking back into his small office type room behind the kitchen.

Katy sighed.

"I was being good I swear!" Maya promised. Katy scooped her down off her hip and sat her on the red cushioned diner seats.

"I know sweetie but some people can't see that in us." Katy told her. "Now you are going to sit her quietly and color until I finish my shift."

"Okay." Maya sighed. Katie tighter the not on her apron and went back to wiping down tables.

Maya grabbed her broken antler and traced it on the back of her paper. She colored it the same as the real one. She took her piece of paper and jumped off the seat. She walked over to her mother who was taking some couples order. She tugged on the skirt of her uniform.

"I'm busy, Maya." Katy told her. Maya scoffed and tapped her foot impatiently for her mother to finish.

"Now what do you want?" Katy asked Maya. The pair walked to the kitchen together so that Katy could hand up the order.

"Do you have a scissors?" Maya asked her mother.

"I don't think so, go ask Lucìa." Katy suggested as she started to clear off a table.

Maya walked over to the counters and dinged the bell repeatedly until it caught Lucìa's attention. Lucìa was the oldest waitress in the diner at 57.

"Ci, what can I do for you Maya?" She asked turning around to the little vixen sitting on top of the counters.

"Do you guys have scissors?" Maya asked.

"Ci. I'll go get them now." Lucia said. She disappeared off for a moment before returning with the scissors.

"Gracias." Maya thanked and walked back over to her table. She cut out the reindeer antler she drew. It was sloppily cut out but she was six. She went to the front window and pulled down a flyer and stole the tape from it.

She attempted to use the worn out tape to stick the new antler to were her old one used to be. It worked but the new one kept falling over on itself. Maya didn't seem to care.

"Mom! Look I fixed them!" Maya announced to her mother. Katy turned around and smirked. Maya's grin was identical to the one she had when Katy had brought home the antlers.

_"Rudolph the Red nose reindeer, had a very shiny nose!"_ Maya sang happily.

Katy saw Burt in the corner of her eye glaring at little Maya for singing a song and Katy didn't know how to protect her.


End file.
